Burglar-alarm



(No Model.)

J. W. HOFFMAN.

BURGLAR ALARM.

Patented Nov. 2, 1886.

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Arme/VHS llNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. HOFFMAN, or PULLMAN, rLLINOis.

BUReLAR-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,772, dated November 2, 1886.

Application filed February 18, 19.86. Serial No. 192,345. (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN W. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pullman, county ot' Cook, and State ol' Illinois, have invented a new and usel'ul Improvement in BurglarAlarms for Sleeping-Cars, which I desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, of which the tollowing isaspecilieation. Y

Thefts in sleeping-cars are commonly made by the burglar taking ont the removable partitions between the berths or headboards, and abstraeting valuables from under the pillows ot' the passengers. g

The object ofmy present invention is to provide an alarm which will inevitably be caused to operate by the removal ot' these partitions, and which, at the same time, shall be of sueh aeharacter that when it has once been started it will not be iu the power of the burglar to arrest it, but that it will continue to ring until the attention oi. l the attendants has been attraeted.

In the drawings annexed to this specifica` tion, and which form a part thereof', Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of a part ot' the partition between the berths of the sleeping-car, showing my apparatus in position when set for use. Fig, 2 is a view ot' the same, showing the position of the apparatus when an alarm is given. Fig. 3 indicates the operation of the means provided for resetting the alarm.

The partition B rests in the usual manner upon the top ol' the car-seat, and is held in position by the lug P, which engages with the notch or recess Q in the upper end of the bolt A, provided in the back ot' the seat for this purpose. rlhis bolt, together with the other various parts of my apparatus, is attached to a metal facing, N, lixed upon the side and top of the back or' the seat. The normal position of the bolt A is entirely within the facing N, and when it is desired to prepare the car for sleeping` purposes the partition B is placed in its position and the bolt A pushed up by means oi' the projecting thumb-piece I to the position shown in Fig. l.

When it is desired to :remove the partition, it is of course necessary to push down the bolt, and this Will be the iirst thing done by the burglar. The Object of my invention is to provide an electric alarm which shall be operated by this movement of the bolt A, and which the burglar shall be unable to arrestwithout entirely removing the partition, which he would be unable to do without alarming the passengers or attendants. To this end I cause the downward motion of the bolt to throw my apparatus into such position to close the alarm circuit, and I place the means for breaking the circuit in such a position that they cannot be operated without entirely removing the partition. The ratchet-wheel I) is journaled upon an arm, It, projecting inwardly from the facing N. electrical alarm-circuit is made through the wireL, held in place bythe screw M, the facing N, and other metallieparts of the apparatus,tl1e contact-spring E, and wire K, the latter being mounted upon insulating material J, It is thus apparent that the circuit will be closed only when the spring E is in contact with the ratchetwheel D.

The spring E is of such a length thatit will be touched by the points ot' the teeth of the ratcl1et-wheel, but will not reach the notches of the wheel. The normal position of the wheel is that shown in Fig. l, Where the spring is out of contact with it. The means provided for changing the position otl the wheel from that shown in Fig. I to that of the circuit-closing position shown in Fig. 2 consists ol" the spring C, attached to the bolt, and having a tendency to push outward toward the wheel. This spring is oi' such a length that as the bolt descends its end will engage with the points ot' the teeth ofthe wheel and revolve the wheel until it takes the position shown in Fig. 2. The spring, however, will not carry the wheel far enough around to cause the spring E to drop past the point of the ratchet on which it rests,` but leaves it in contact with the point as the bolt descends to its normal position. As the bolt is pushed up to engage with the partition the spring C slips by the teeth ot' the wheel without revolving it.

The means provided for resetting the wheel and breaking the circuit consist ot' the plunger F, hinged to one end ot' a pivoted plate, G, and passing through a hole in a guide-piece, S, attached to the bolt. The plate G is pivoted in thev facing Nat its top, and is of such shape, as shown, that it can be caused to revolve on its pivot by inserting the ringer- The ICO

nail under the lip T at its end. Its normal position is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the spring II, fixed to the facing N, and bearing upon a part of the plate to one side of its pivot, tends to hold it in and return it to that position. When the plate G is tilted, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the plunger F engages with one of the ratchet-teeth of the wheel I) and revolves the wheel, breaking the contact between it and the spring E, thus returning the apparatus to its normal position.

It will be observed that the plate Gcan only be reached in order to move it after the parti- 5 tion has been removed, and therefore will be inaccessible to the burglar, and that it affords the only means of stopping the operation of the alarm after it has once been started by the downward movement of the bolt.

It is of course immaterial whether the alarm is adapted to ring on an open or closed circuit, and a reversal of parts such that the function of the spring C would be to open a normally-closed circuit and that of the plunger F to again close such circuit would be a mere equivalent of my construction and within my invention.

At O in Fig. 3 is shown a spring which it may be desirable to use in order to prevent improper meddling with the apparatus by passengers during the day, the end of this spring engaging with the top ofthe slot in which the. thumb-piece moves, it being necessary for the attendant, when arranging the berths for the night, to press in the spring O, in order to permit the bolt to be pushed out.

I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the particular means or apparatus shown herein for opening and closing the alarm-circuit, but claim, broadly, the application of an alarm to the partition between the berths of a sleeping-car for preventing the removal thereof; nor is the location of the apparatus with reference to the partition a matter of special importance, since it maybe attached to other parts thereof, as well as to the point shown.

I. In a burglar-alarm, the combination ofa bolt, an alarm-circuit, a circuit-closer in the said circuit and located near the said bolt, means connected with the bolt for operating the circuit-closer when the bolt is withdrawn, a movable object retained in position by said bolt when pushed out, and means for returning the circuit-closer to its normal position,

so placed as to be protected by said movable object and to be out of the reach of the burglar until the removal of the said object is effected, substantially as described and set forth.

2. In a burglar-alarm, the combination of the bolt A, the spring C, the ratchet-wheel D, the circuitclosing spring E, the plunger F, and the electrical circuit connected to the spring E and the ratchet-wheel4 I), substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth. Y

3. In a sleeping-car, the combination of a removable berth-partition, mechanism for retaining the same in position between the berths, an electric alarm-circuit, and an electrical make and break in said circuit controlled by said mechanism as the latter passes to and from its retaining position, substantially as described and shown.

4. In a sleeping-car, the combination of a movable berth-partition, an alarm, a circuit therefor passing to the vicinity of the partition, an electric make and break in said circuit, and a mechanism connecting said make and break with the partition, whereby movement of the partition cannot be effected withont changing the electrical condition of said circuit, substantially as described and shown.

5. In a sleeping-car, the combination of a movable berth-partition, an alarn1,a normallyopen electrical circuit connected therewith, mechanism for retaining the partition in its place, a circuit-closer in the said alarnrcircuit, means connected with the said mechanism for operating the circuit-closer asit passes from its retaining to its normal position, and means for opening the circuit-closer. substantially as shown and described.

6. In a sleeping-oar, the combination of a movable berth-partition, a bolt mounted in the frame-work of the car, which, when pushed out, serves to retain the said partition in position, an alarm-circuit, a circuit-closer in said circuit placed in the Vicinity of said bolt and operated by it to close the alarm-circuit when the bolt is withdrawn from its retaining position, and means for returning the circuit-closer .to its normal position, said means being so placed as to be protected from access by the said partition, until the same has been displaced, substantially as described and shown.

JOHN \V. HOFFMAN. \Vitnesses:

FREDERICK C. Goonwln, E. L. HUBER.

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